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Ephesians

A Hope of Glory Study

Week 11

April 1, 2021 • Meg Rice

Ephesians has been dubbed “the Alps of the Bible” because of its lofty and majestic depiction of Jesus Christ and a life lived for Him. Paul has spent a great deal of time laying out the advantages of following Jesus. He then focuses on how our lives should be lived because of our faith. Even though these ideals seem impossible, the power of Jesus living within us through the Holy Spirit equips us to be all God has called us to be. Paul’s letter is now reaching the summit of the Alps. In his final teaching, he shows us exactly what we are up against and how to overcome it. It is a battle between good and evil and between God and Satan; in this battle we are the warriors.

Week 10

March 25, 2021 • Emily Gilliam

At this point in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he challenges the early Christians to look different from the rest of the world. They were no longer the people they were prior to becoming followers of Jesus. They were changed. The “putting off of the old self” was made possible by the power available to each person through the gift of the Holy Spirit. Each believer was a “new creation” in Christ Jesus and was given unique gifts to enable them to build the kingdom of God. In chapter 5, Paul continues to spell out plainly what kingdom dwellers on earth should look like and how they differ from the rest of the world.

Week 9

March 18, 2021 • Emily Gilliam

Chapter 4 is the hinge of the book of Ephesians. There is a shift from the advantages and glory of being a Christian to how it effects our relationships with others. Paul has just finished praying the beautiful prayer of Ephesians 3:14-21; now he challenges the early Christians to live lives worthy of their calling. Chapter 4 can be divided into three parts: Verses 1-6 which is a call to unity; verses 7-16 which is a call to exercise our spiritual gifts; verses 17-32 which is a call to grow up in our faith.

Week 8

March 4, 2021 • Meg Rice

Ephesians 3:1 and 3:14 begin with “For this reason” or “Because of this”. What is Paul referring to? He seems to be looking back at the advantages and blessings of being a Christian in Chapters 1 and 2. By Ephesians 3:14, Paul seems to be overwhelmed at the majesty, the love, the power and lavished gifts available and he falls to his knees in prayer for the early Christians. Remember, this is his flock, the churches he planted and served and loved. The verses in this lesson are a powerful prayer offered by Paul for his flock.

Week 7

February 25, 2021 • Meg

Imagine for a second that you are a Gentile Christian in the early years following the life and death of Jesus. Your life has been one of worshiping and fearing gods that would become angry and destroy you at any given moment. There never seemed to be enough sacrifice or worship to satisfy these ancient gods. Now through a man named Paul you hear of a living god, one that is not in the form of an idol but is represented by a man like yourself. A man named Jesus of Nazareth. This God is loving and wants nothing more than to give you peace and hope and fullness of life in a world of darkness, conflict, hopelessness, and trials. But you are concerned. This man named Paul is in prison and you wonder about your faith. Is it real? Is Paul himself questioning his faith? This part of Ephesians is written to quell these fears of the early Christians in Ephesus.

Week 6

February 18, 2021 • Meg Rice

In chapter 2, Paul has made it clear that all of us were dead in our sins but were made alive through faith in Jesus Christ. This statement included the Jewish people as well as the Gentiles. Remember, “Gentiles” refers to those who are not part of the descendants of Abraham. In other words, they are pagan people who worshiped multiple gods and did not know the Living God of the Hebrews. It is all about grace. With grace comes the good works that God has already designed for each of us so that his kingdom may be built, and He is glorified.

Week 5

February 11, 2021 • Meg Rice

After reading Paul’s assessment of mankind in Ephesians 2:1-3, it seems there is no hope until we read verses 4-5. Grace is one of those words used in Christian circles that some people do not understand. However, Paul’s focus in many of his letters is all about grace.

Week 4

February 4, 2021 • Meg Rice

In chapter 1 of Ephesians, Paul has systematically expounded on the “perks” or blessings of believing in Jesus Christ as the Son of God who takes away the sins of the world. He has declared that through faith we are given the Holy Spirit who not only works in our lives daily, but also is a “deposit guaranteeing our inheritance” in the future.

Week 3

January 28, 2021 • Meg Rice

These verses of Ephesians seem to be a prayer from Paul to His heavenly Father. Paul’s heart was tied to the churches he planted throughout the known world. We know Paul spent up to three years in Ephesus, and therefore that church had a special place in his heart. As he was approaching the end of his third missionary journey, he had to bypass Ephesus. He believed that he would never see his beloved church members again.

Week 2

January 21, 2021 • Meg Rice

Paul continues expounding on the blessings of believing in Jesus as the Son of the living God, the long awaited Messiah for the Jewish people and the Savior of the world. God’s plan for his creation involved Jesus from the beginning.

Introduction

January 7, 2021 • Meg Rice

To receive all the benefits and fullness of faith, Paul encourages his readers to mature in their faith. To strive to move forward and be all God has called them to be. As we travel though Ephesians, spend time soaking in the words, meditate on how these words effect your life. Ask the Holy Spirit to empower these ancient words to draw you deeper into that intimate relationship with Jesus Christ and watch how your life is changed.

Week 1

January 14, 2021 • Meg Rice

We are beginning our study of Ephesians often called the crowning glory of Paul’s writings, along with the book of Romans. We will see Paul emphasize the unfathomable riches of being a believer in Jesus Christ and how these “perks” should affect our lives. Some theologians believe this letter was a circular letter sent to all the churches that Paul had established in Asia Minor, ending up in Ephesus.